


The Dreaming Time

by DebbieF



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen, Involves an aware 10 year old Daniel Jackson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-20
Updated: 2013-07-20
Packaged: 2017-12-20 20:10:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/891357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DebbieF/pseuds/DebbieF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Confusion abounds in this one and is mostly from Jack's POV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dreaming Time

I have issues with trees. Don't know why, just do. This planet seems  
riddled with em'. Trees for as far as you can see. Miles and miles  
of never ending trees. Did I mention I have issues with trees? But  
it bears repetition. Didn't this planet ever hear of lumberjacks? I  
better shift my focus to my current mission. We've sent countless SG  
teams back and forth to lovely P6Q-283 to look for my lost _Bambi_.  
I say that because of his _deer in the headlights_ look he always  
had when in trouble. We've kept the units in rotation to help speed  
up the rescue and I clearly mean *rescue* as I won't have it any  
other way. From my mouth to God's ears. I made a promise to myself  
concerning Daniel. Ever since I had to leave him gravely injured on  
a pyramid ship with a huge honkin' hole in him that there was no way  
in hell I'd leave him behind ever again!  
  
As my long gait took me further into the forest that surrounded us  
my hearing picked up on some movement nearby. As I peered into the  
forestry I could see a fast moving shadow. The shadow gained more  
speed and became a blur headed in my direction.  
  
I readied my P-90 and patiently waited for my unseen nemesis to  
appear. When the blur got tired of playing hide and seek it sprang  
out at me. I actually dropped my weapon from the shock. Because  
before me stood the spittin' image of a young… Correction – Very, very  
young version of _my_ Daniel Jackson. He couldn't have been more  
than ten years old if that.  
  
The youngster was panting from all his extra curricular activities  
and looked at me with alarm. I think he was ready to bolt again if I  
made any wrong moves. Having walked a full circle around the boy, I  
took stalk of the situation I now found my self facing. The features  
were definitely the same just younger. I've seen pictures of my best  
friend when he was a child, that's why I recognized him right off  
the bat. No doubt about it. This is my kid.  
  
Aw hell, Danny. Which God's did you piss off this time? So far I've  
received the silent treatment from the kid. Don't know if that's a  
good or bad thing. He's all eyes though and aside from his heavy  
breathing he looks to be healthy. But I've been down that road  
before and looks could deceive. In my business it could get you dead.  
  
"Cat got your tongue?" I asked. He was still doing his impersonation  
of _Marcel Marceau_ and frankly I was starting to get a bit twitchy.  
Too much in-action for me and just too damn silent for any Daniel to  
be. It just wasn't the norm for him no matter what condition he may  
be in.  
  
"Okay let's try this again. Me – Jack… You – Daniel." I balked at  
doing the Tarzan/Jane thing, but I couldn't think of any way to get  
through to the boy. So far the only reaction I've obtained has been  
rapid eye blinking. Maybe I'm going about this all wrong. I wondered  
if morse code would work. The more I thought about it I knew it  
would be useless too. My adult friend was terrible using hand  
signals at first and made up his own signals that even I eventually  
picked up on. So I couldn't expect him to be any better at _morse_  
either.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
Eureka! I think the boy's got it! "Daniel, that you?"  
  
"I think so. It feels like me, only I've changed a little and feel a  
bit off kilter."  
  
"Ya think?" I just couldn't help myself.  
  
"Like it's me and then not. More like a spaced out dream," Daniel  
continued to explain and ignored my mouthing off as usual. That's my  
boy.  
  
I motioned Daniel to hold on for a few. I needed to radio my troops  
and tell them _Bambi_ found papa. Altogether different than when I  
last saw him, grant you, but still – He's alive and relatively  
unharmed. That's something for the books anyway.  
  
"Alright now, where were we?" I said as I looked at the lad. "I know  
you know you're Daniel Jackson. But we don't know for sure til doc  
checks you out. I can't bring you home yet cause you could be a  
 _Trojan horse_. I'm gonna have Doctor Frasier make a house call and  
give you a full once over. So don't get scared, okay?"  
  
I got a hesitant nod for my efforts. Then the kid's knees buckled  
and I barely caught him in time or his head would have connected  
with the nearest rock.  
  
"Easy does it. Nothing is ever simple with you is it, kiddo?" I sat  
on the ground with Daniel's head in my lap. I brushed back some of  
his hair while junior glanced up at me.  
  
"Why am I small?" Daniel asked in a voice I could barely hear.  
  
"Why am I big?" I answered back. I am clearly not helping the  
situation any.  
  
"Smartass! Get serious. I need a reasonable explanation like five  
minutes ago," Daniel said crossly and scowled at me.  
  
"I'm fresh out of _reasonables_ today. Sorry," I told him while I  
played with his bangs. "And quit scowling. You'll develop pre-mature  
wrinkles. Take it from me, kiddo. I know."  
  
"I seem to have a problem, Jack," Daniel said while he became more  
aware of the strange changes in his body.  
  
"Well duh! The lights are on but ain't nobody home." Which earned me  
a glare meant to strike down a Jaffa. "Sorry." Me and my big mouth.  
  
"Well actually I seem to have more than one problem for the moment.  
I can't even remember how I got to be this _little_. Unless this is  
all just a very bad dream." Daniel batted my hands away from his  
hair and started to close his eyes.  
  
"Hey hey, none of that now. Beddie bye time is for later. I need all  
good little professors wide awake for the doc's visit," I told him  
for all the good it did me. Daniel went into a light doze that fast.  
Poor kid must be exhausted and frightened. I know I would have been.  
Where the hell's doc?  
  
 _*KAWOOSH*_  
  
Music to my ears. Ask and ye shall receive. "Good ole doc will take  
a look at you to make sure you'll not be taking back any hidden  
 _artifacts_ with you, Danny boy," I told my sleeping friend. At  
least I hoped he was my *friend*.  
  
Janet Frasier, with the rest of her team, set up a make-shift tent  
and their equipment with the minimum of fuss.  
  
I woke up _sleeping beauty_ and without much protest he and the doc  
disappeared inside the tent. Not much time had past when the next  
thing I knew I had the lovely Doctor Frasier in my face – Up close  
and personal. Though I still had to look a long waaaay down to meet  
her flashing eyes. And I don't mean the snake kind.  
  
"Is this some kind of joke, Colonel O'Neill? Because if it is I have  
a long awaited physical with your name on it," Doctor Frasier said  
in anger.  
  
I was puzzled. Why was she mad at me? "Uh doc?" I got cut off  
abruptly by our petite dynamo.  
  
"And don't you dare say _what's up_. I am soooo not in the mood for  
your antics, Colonel," she warned and held up a finger.  
  
She's good at that *holding up finger stuff* and putting people in  
their place. I feel like I just was told to go sit in the corner  
with that stupid dunce cap on. Boy was that humiliating. "Is the kid  
okay?" I asked and hoped she wouldn't brain me with her stethoscope.  
That thing could hurt you in the wrong hands.  
  
"I ran all kinds of tests on _it_ , for want of a better word. They  
all came up with the same reading - Negative." The usually  
unflappable Doctor Frasier ran fingers threw her hair in  
agitation. "I'm not going to be happy if I find out this has been  
all a joke at my expense and the governments too."  
  
"What do you mean by _negative_?" I questioned. Not wanting to play  
my _dumb card_ but it has worked in my favor before.  
  
"*Nothing*, that's exactly what it means. It's like he doesn't exist  
at all, sir" she answered sharply.  
  
I think Doctor Frasier was being kind to me when she tacked on that  
 _sir_ at the end. I could fill in the blanks pretty nicely on my  
own. After she told me this I slowly turned around to look at _it_.  
Now she's got me saying the same thing. I can't go calling it -  
 _It_. That's just not politically correct.  
  
"Jack it's me. It's really, really me," Daniel said as he tried to  
convince his older friend that he was the real deal. And doing a  
bang up job of it too.  
  
"Oh I don't know about that, pal. According to the doc's gadgetry –  
You're dead…Or not really a live person…Robbie the Robot perhaps or  
whatever the hell you want to call yourself. But your definitely not  
my Daniel Jackson" Did I say that I really hate it when this kind of  
shit happens? Gives me a headache every time. I'd rather have my  
Daniel babbling non-stop about his latest _squiggles_ that always  
put him in his happy place.  
  
"O'Neill," Tealc's baritone rumbled in my ear.  
  
"Yo, T! Got any good news for me?" Let me rephrase that. You  
better have some damn good news for me. Cause I gotta tell ya so far  
this day sucks big time."  
  
"We found a facility near the clearing. We were going to ascertain  
if it's safe to proceed in," he said and then spotted the young boy.  
Teal'c arched a brow, clasped his hands behind his back and looked  
at me in that way only he has.  
  
"What has transpired while I've been gone, O'Neill?"  
  
"If I knew the answer to that question, my man...." I left the rest  
unsaid and scratched my head. I do that a lot you know. Some people  
have a nervous tick. Me, I scratch my head. Maybe that's why I find  
lots of hair in my morning brush. I've been loosening all those  
follicles. Maybe I need to rattle my brains more too while I'm at it.  
  
"Sir, we're ready to go in now. No booby traps that we could  
detect," said Carter. She too stopped and stared at the child.  
  
"Aw! Don't even ask, Carter. Just don't ask." I should have stayed  
retired. Could have saved what little sanity I had left in my pea  
sized brain.  
  
"Whatever you say, sir." Carter figured she'd find out later anyway.  
That's what she loved about her job. Life was always throwing you  
new curves and challenges.  
  
"Can I come too?" asked the Daniel wannabe.  
  
"What's that old saying? _Keep your friends close, but your enemies_  
 _closer_. Yeah, kid you can come along," I told him. I could see the  
relief in his eyes immediately now that he was included.  
  
"But I'm not your enemy, Jack" Daniel entreated and started to  
follow us at a leisurely pace.  
  
"Says you. And until we know who _you_ really are that's how it's  
gonna stand." I thought I laid my cards on the table for him to read  
fairly well.  
  
Carter and SG-8 had already gone back inside. When the rest of us  
arrived she rushed out in excitement. "Sir, come right away! You're  
not going to believe this."  
  
"Is that right, Carter? I'm ready to believe in the Tooth Fairy and  
that there will be money under my pillow the next morning right  
about now."  
  
"It's Daniel, _our_ Daniel," she cried out. She was almost dancing  
about in impatience waiting for me to follow her.  
  
I did an about face and glared over at the *kid*. "What did I say  
about being our _enemy_?" I snarled.  
  
The boy did look visibly upset and bewildered at the turn of events  
unfolding before him.  
  
"Fine then! Let me go see what there is to see." I then followed  
Carter inside where she stopped and motioned me to go ahead of her.  
When I went past I saw what had her up in arms. "Daniel," I  
whispered as if I said a prayer and in a way it was.  
  
"Yes, sir. That's him. He appeared to be sleeping so Janet's went  
ahead and already checked his vitals and they're in acceptable  
ranges" Carter informed me.  
  
"That can't be me. I'm me… He's older. I'm young. He isn't me," said  
the younger one in denial.  
  
"Look, wherever the hell you spawned from – You're not _him_." I  
pointed over to _my_ Daniel as I said this to our young imposter.  
  
"O'Neill, does not this equipment appear to be familiar to you?"  
asked Teal'c.  
  
"Vaguely, Teal'c. Carter do you recognize this set up?" I had a bad  
feeling creeping up on me at Teal'c's words.  
  
"Yes, sir. I think so. It kind of reminds me of when we were on the  
Gamekeeper's planet and hooked up to all that weird machinery."  
Carter looked at the equipment before her and shuddered in  
remembrance.  
  
"Great just great. Soooo what I didn't want to hear today. A trip  
down a bad memory lane. Carter, Teal'c, go find any local yokels who  
can safely detach Daniel from all that… Stuff." I took off my cap and  
then wiped the sweat running down my face. I hadn't realized how hot  
it was on this planet. I wondered if Daniel could feel its effects  
or not. Then I began to wonder if our friendly neighborhood *clone*  
could help out. I turned to ask young Daniel a question. "Can you  
pull the plug on this contraption and keep our guy safe in the  
process?"  
  
"I've never seen its like before. I'm sorry, Jack. But I'm still the  
Daniel Jackson you know even though you keep denying it," the boy  
insisted.  
  
"Juries still out on that one, buddy. I'm not sure if you're animal,  
mineral, part of him or we've all been having a nice trip due to  
drugs, sex and rock n'roll. Well maybe not the sex part." I  
corrected myself seeing as I started to confuse the kid. "Let me  
concentrate on getting my friend out of this fix first. Then we'll  
try to figure out the rest of this."  
  
The child appeared extremely distressed upon having heard this. "You  
know, Jack you believed it was me when I was with you during that  
whole Ba'al fiasco. So why not now?" he said in desperation.  
  
"Stop right there, bucko! I don't know how you picked my brain and  
came up with that particular nightmare but even then I needed  
proof," I snapped. "Or did you forget that shoe I threw at you?"  
  
The mention of the _shoe_ brought forth a small smile from the boy.  
Much to my disgust.  
  
"Colonel we found someone who might be of some help," said Carter as  
she rushed back into the building.  
  
"About time! A man could turn grey waiting ya know." I saw her  
amused smirk at my comment but let it slide.  
  
"His name is Sa'Shee and he lives on this world," Carter continued.  
She guided the surprised alien over to where I stood near Danny boy.  
  
"Sashay, nice to meet ya. Know anything about anything?" I asked and  
indicated Daniel and the mechanism holding him captive.  
  
"It has been a long time since someone has entered the sleeping  
chambers," Sa'Shee told them.  
  
I of course picked up on the obvious right away. "Sleeping chamber  
you say. Oy! Can you wake up _Rip van Winkle_ over there?" I pointed  
to our unconscious teammate.  
  
Sa'Shee went nearer and studied the piece of machinery. He reached  
out and turned several dials and flipped even more switches. The  
device sputtered and then ceased its mechanical function. The tubes  
and wires immediately withdrew from Daniel and released him.  
  
"Thank you very much Sa'Shee," I acknowledged. I heard Carter's  
snort in the background. "What? Ya think I really didn't pay  
attention when you introduced us?" I shook my head then noticed  
Daniel falling forward. "Whoa Nelly! Easy does it. I gotcha, big  
fella." I deftly caught our archaeologist in my arms.  
  
Daniel stirred slightly and murmured softly, "Jack."  
  
"Yes, Daniel."  
  
"Why am I on the ground? Better yet, why are you holding me in your  
arms?" he said in bemusement.  
  
"Would you have preferred the alternative which would have been your  
face smacking against the cold hard concrete," I pointed out to my  
muddled friend.  
  
"Okay, that would be a no." Daniel carefully sat up with Jack's  
help. "What happened and who's that?"  
  
They both looked over at the younger Daniel. He had such a sad sweet  
smile on his young face. "Bye, Jack. I wished you had believed in  
me," he said and with a simple wave… Faded completely away.  
  
"What the hell just happened here," I muttered to Daniel.  
  
"On second thought you don't have to explain a thing. I remember,"  
said Daniel.  
  
"You do? Pray tell, what have you remembered since you were the one  
wired to that damn machine the whole time?" I prodded my _pain in_  
 _the ass_ friend to continue.  
  
"I was dreaming. I remembered being with my parents in Egypt.  
Joining them on digs. It started to get mixed up with the present  
and my life here with you guys and the SGC. It sorta felt like  
sleepwalking except it wasn't me doing the actual movements," Daniel  
tried to get Jack and his thick skull to understand.  
  
"Why did we see a ten year old version of you then?" asked Sam. She  
had certainly been amazed at what had happened to her friend. And  
equally surprised at how the young Daniel seemed to just vanish into  
thin air.  
  
"I can only guess that some part of myself escaped the dream state  
and appeared to you. I haven't the faintest idea what would of  
happened if nobody found me and you took the younger version of  
myself home with you. If that were even possible. Maybe the whole  
function of this machine is to duplicate the residents. I know I'm  
not being much help but I did just wake up," Daniel stated the  
obvious.  
  
"I can just picture it now. Bizarro Daniel running loose in the SGC.  
God almighty!" I exclaimed. "We really do run into it. Don't we?" I  
think I just might asked Hammond to retire me – _Again_.  
  
"While we're still on the subject, may I ask how you got _wired_ in  
the first place?" I said in annoyance.  
  
"I'd really rather not say." Daniel tried to look anywhere but at  
Jack.  
  
Gotcha now, Danny! "Uh uh. Talk to papa," I got the kid cornered.  
And you knew that whatever he planned to tell me would feel like  
lead in my stomach.  
  
"You know me. When I saw this device I started _touching_ things,"  
Daniel winced when he saw Jack's expression turn into a  
thundercloud. "It looked harmless. Like it hadn't been used in  
hundreds of years. I mean it even had cobwebs all over it  
forcryinoutloud.!" Daniel said as fast as he could. He tried to get  
out of the tongue lashing he knew he deserved.  
  
"Actually it's been two thousand years or more since its last use,"  
Sa'Shee interrupted.  
  
Both Daniel and I were astonished at this revelation.  
  
"Damn we're lucky that thing released you so readily. Your _twin,_  
for want of a better word, did a damn good job of trying to convince  
me that it was you. Till we had Frasier look the kid over that is.  
You know Danny we have to curb this penchant you have for finding  
trouble in all the wrong places." I reached out and mussed up my  
young friend's hair.  
  
"Yeah just as soon as you stop snake baiting," Daniel shot back.  
  
"Like that will ever happen." As soon as the words left my mouth, I  
could have kicked myself in the ass.  
  
"Look just because I ain't gonna stop pissing off the snakeheads  
doesn't give you the excuse to go _touchy feely_ with everything and  
everybody you meet." I wonder if he understood me. I spoke English  
which is supposed to be part of his vast repertoire.  
  
"Jack, if it wasn't for me you'd be feeling your age. I'm keeping  
you young," Daniel told Jack with a big shit eatin'grin on his face.  
  
"How you figure that one?" I sure as hell don't feel any younger. My  
knees can attest to that.  
  
"All the trouble _you_ say I seem to find. Well it keeps your mind  
sharp and your body fit and trim. You're ever ready to spring that  
steel trap of a brain you have on some poor unsuspecting Goa'uld or  
alien. And you have me to thank for all of that.  
  
"You have got to be shittin'me," I told Danny who by this time was  
laughing so hard he just might pee his BDUs.  
  
"Ya think?"  
  
"I'll tell you what I think. Carter!" I yelled. "Hit the DHD and  
dial us home. Danny boy and I have a date in the gym." I could hear  
Daniel's laughter stop.  
  
"Hell," Daniel said uneasily.  
  
"It just very well might be, kiddo" Now who had the last laugh.  
  
The End


End file.
